Fears over work at historic Bridgnorth site

The promenade between the Bridgnorth Cliff Railway and The Castle Grounds attracts thousands of visitors each year, but staff at the railway and councillors fear the iron railings will collapse if the copings – the covers used to support and protect them from frost and rain – are not replaced.

Contractors acting for Shropshire Council undertook the work in March 2020 after it was found parts of the walk had been subsiding due to the weight of vehicles on it and general wear and tear. They made it a pedestrianised area but still needed to protect the railings with the covers.

Castle Walk remained closed during part of the spring of 2020 whilst the remedial works were undertaken.

But during the winter later that year, staff at the railway noticed the copings to the piers supporting the railings along Castle Walk had started to erode with the first frosts only months after the completion of the works.

The matter was reported in February 2021 when it was discovered, but no further work has been carried out and they have found this winter the rate of the deterioration of the concrete has accelerated to such an extent, the copings are no longer fit for purpose.

Cliff railway chairman Dr Malvern Tipping said there was also an issue with a traffic bollard in the street outside the cliff railway's top station designed to prevent the passage of vehicles along Castle Terrace. The bollard was reported to have been damaged by a vehicle hitting it but was not replaced, with the hole it left being covered up with tarmac, allowing vehicles once more to access the terrace, increasing pressure on the road surface and putting pedestrians at risk.

Dr Tipping said: "The railway’s general manager has reported his concerns to the directors, saying he is particularly concerned what will happen when people congregate on Guy Fawkes night to watch the fireworks in Low Town. He wonders what would happen to the railings when a couple of hundred people congregate behind them on Guy Fawkes night to watch the fireworks in Low Town.

"Shropshire Council need to address the issue of the bollard to prevent vehicles from entering Castle Walk from Castle Terrace otherwise all the expensive engineering works of 2020 will be to no avail.

"The copings are now entirely shot away and the fear is they are made from the wrong material. Their purpose is to protect the brick piers from water and deterioration from further frost attack but are already in a far worse state than the ones which they replaced only two years ago.

“My latest approaches to Shropshire Council have been brushed off with the suggestion that I should report the matter to the Town Council. I did that a year ago, but absolutely nothing happened. I have written to the two unitary councillors representing this division because I think that it is now time for them to step in to resolve this matter.

"We also need to ascertain the condition of the parts of the 2020 repairs which are not visible to the naked eye. We know that the copings are already in an appalling state of disrepair, but what of the rest? This needs investigating."

Bridgnorth Town Councillor David Cooper said he had concerns about the copings and the railings they protect deteriorating at an alarming rate and that it may need contractors to come back in and replace them.

He said: "It was at the start of the lockdown when the first work was carried out which is less than two years ago and already they have eroded drastically."

Shropshire Council has been approached for a comment.